Do What You Love. Love What You Do.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt personally victimized by a relative who asked, “So… what is your major again?” Ah, the dreaded question!

The hardest part of change is finding a place where you belong. This is true to every transition in life, especially when entering college. In addition to balancing social circles, living situations, study habits and health, there is an overhanging impression that happiness depends on how you invest in the future. Most people expect you to understand the projection of the next thirty years, but it is unrealistic for plans to unfold exactly as anticipated. Whether other students have general or specific academic focuses, chances are many of them feel just as uncomfortable about the ambiguity of the future.

Someone recently spoke with me about entering college as an exploratory major. The student said that it sometimes felt hard being mixed in an environment where everyone seemed confident about their futures. I attested that even the most plan-oriented people end up changing their minds. If you don’t believe me, check out this S.O.S. message I sent amidst my freshman year finals (i.e., prior to making a career shift):

Even this past week, a few friends and I reminisced about our Xavier experiences. One factor was consistent in our stories: as freshmen, none of us would have guessed where we ended up after four years. One started off as a health administrations major, another made two switches, and me? I took a 180-degree shift from nursing to public relations, advertising and digital media.

My advice is to stop thinking about yourself as “indecisive.” Within the paradox of choice, there runs a risk of selecting the wrong option- right? Actually, scratch this idea! The truth is that any choice is the right one. After all, success is far from being naturally sequential to any particular decision. Rather, it is a constant process earned through hard work after the choice. Know yourself by listening to those itches during procrastination, and as my brother always says, “Do what you love. Love what you do.” From a nursing major turned public relations, advertising and digital media guru, good luck as you continue to explore!